Electric coupling



F. M. PARWELL. ELECTRIC eoUPLINe.

Patented Sept. 22, 1891.

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I'. M. FARWELL.

ELECTRIC GOUPLING. No. 460,048. Patented Sept. 22, 1891.

Witwe/a wy NITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

FRANK M. FARlVELL, OE MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ELECTRIC COU PLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,048, dated September 22, 1891.

Application led January 27, 1891. Serial No. 379.317. iNo model.)

.To all whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, FRANK M. FAEWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the countyof Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Couplings; and ,I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

My invention relates to electrical-coupling for use in a lighting or signaling apparatus on railway-trains, street-cars, switch-boards, dto., and to that class of couplings in which electrical connection is automatically set up throughout the length of a train when the respective couplings are joined and broken when the couplings pull apart as the cars separate.

The objects of my improvements are to produce a coupling of the character mentioned the principal parts of which shall be interchangeable, arranged to avoid danger from shocks by accidental contact therewith, and controlled by an automatic tension device.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side View in elevation, partly in section, of a coupling embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a plan of the same; Fig. 3, an enlarged side sectional view of the coupling; Figs. et, 5, and 6, details of modifications.

Referring' to the drawings, A A represent two casings, covering the respective parts of the coupling. Each casing A, made preferably of hard rubber, is formed in two parts a a2, d being provided with a shoulder a3, which lits over the neck of the other part and is secured thereto by pins l.

2 is a coupling hook or tongue, the inner end of which is embedded rigidly in the hardrubber casing.

l is a chamber formed in the casing below the coupling-hook, and in this chamber is secured in and to the casing a metal plate 3, provided with a free spring-forked arm 5. The forks of this arm are lettered .fr and y.

F is a flexible Wire cord conductor, one end of which is embedded in the casing A and secured to the spring-plate 3. It is then wound around a wooden spool L and its opposite end secured to a metal drum C at one end of the spool. The spool is mounted at one end on a pin or bearing B, secured to a standard B', and at the other end on a bearing E, extending from a metal standard M. The metal drum C is attached to the spool L between it and the standard M, and also is mounted and revolves on bearing E.

D is a coiled spring Within the drum, one end of which is secured to the drum and the other end to the rigid bearing E. The foot of the standard M is embedded in a wood or hard-rubber support O. The standard M is in contact with metal strip P, connected with binding-post G. This spool and tension mechanism is covered by a galvanized-iron cover R.

The duplicate parts of the coupling on separate cars (they may be located on the respective hoods or platforms) being provided with the same instrumentalities, continuous electrical connection is made between them, as shown in Fig. l, and as follows: Hook 2, entering chamber 4 of the opposite, casing passes under and comes in contact with curved arm g/ of spring-arm S and raises it until the upper arm .fr of spring S comes iu contact with the shank 0f the opposite hook 2. The shoulder at head of hook 2 engages with corresponding shoulder on arm y and holds the coupling parts together. Then the current flows from binding-post G to connecting-strip P, standard M, bearing E, metal cylinder D, through flexible cord F, casing A, to hook 2, thence through opposite hook, and so on to a lamp or suitable signals. As to the action of the spring tension device, it Will be seen that as the coupler is drawn out when the cars are drawn apart and the cord F unwound or drawn out from the spool, the cylinder to which the cord and coiled spring are attached is also turned so as to wind up the spring, which thereby constantly maintains a tension on the cord, so that when the coupler is free or disconnected it is drawn back in place and the cord drawn taut. lf the cars should become separated, the cords will u ncoil to ltheir fullest extent and then the couplings would pull apart without injury and would be drawn into place by action of the spring. In lighting cars by electricity, where a single wire is used, the rails being utilized for the return current, a person would be shocked if, standing on the ground or on a platform in electrical connection with the ground, he touched a charged wire; but ifl my coupling were used, in such case contact with such Wire would not be possible when the coupling is closed, and when separated the exposed parts. would not be in electrical connection with the main wire. Then, too, my couplings and cords are prevented from hanging down in an unsightly and dangerous way, the cords always being held taut, the springs paying out and taking up slack as the cars are separated or closed by any cause.

The modifications shown in Figs. Il, 5, and 6 are to illustrate the working of my invention when applied to two or three wire circuits. In Fig. 4 the IieXible cord F is divided into two insulated parts, one part connecting with the coupling-hook 2 and the other part with the spring-plate 3, said spring-plate and hook being thoroughly insulated from each other. Instead of the spring-arm S being divided into two parts or arms, it simply has one Wire couplers. The drum containing the coiled spring, the bearings, and the spool are all the same as for the one wire, onlyT larger, if necessary. The flexible cord F being divided into three parts, two of them connect With two ot' thebinding-scrcws G and Lthrough the bearings E and B; the third through a copper strip S in the spool to a metallic strip J, fastened to the spool (but insulated from the bearing B) and in contact with a brush to the binding-screw H. l

The spool for the two-wire circuit would be constructed in the same way, except that the binding-screw H, band J, and brush K would be done away with and contact made through the bearings E and B only.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- A coupling consisting of two separable duplicate parts, each part provided with one or more coupling-arms, a casing in which a portion of each coupling-arm is insulated, a chamber in said casing provided with a spring-arm to engage with the coupling-arm, an electric conductor connected with said casing and electrically connected with the coupling-arm, g

and a coiled spring in circuit secured to said conductor, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Iaix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

FRAN K M. FARVELL.

Witnesses:

HARRY J. MARCH, EDMUND P. ALLEN. 

